The truck was never driven on dry roads in 4hi (or lo for that matter). I'm not a newbie to 4wd, and do know better. The only time it's ever been in 4hi was on wet roads, and that was to see if the noise changed under that condition. 4lo was in my back field (pretty sizable).

But thanks for the "heads-up". If I hadn't been too familiar with 4wd, it might have been news.

I had a '93 Suzuki Sidekick that generated the grinding noise at times, almost always in late summer and early fall. I didn't do a lot of offroad driving so didn't use the 4WD frequently during the spring and summer. I found that if I engaged the 4WD and drove for a short distance then took it back out of 4WD the noise would go away. I think it was a lack of using the system that created the noise and after using it for a bit (lubing up all the gears again so to speak), the noise did not return until I had not used the 4WD again for a long period. I used the 4WD all the time in the winter so it was never a problem then. Just my $.02.

Has anyone used or read about using synthetic oil in the 4WD system? I use Mobil 1 in all my cars and it does a really nice job. My dealer has said that as long as it meets the requirements of suzuki it would not void the warranty. Any thoughts or comments

- big_guyYeah, I thought of that too, so that's why I took it back in my field for a little 4lo duty. It didn't seem to help. Also, since putting it in and out of 4hi didn't make a difference, I'm inclined to think that the service manager is just hearing something he's heard before on another case or two. At any rate, for such an expensive component, I can't believe they'd be so quick to replace it under warrantee without some reason to believe it's defective. I'll keep you posted on the outcome, whenever it gets taken care of. I called the parts dept. the other day, and because of the holidays, they don't think they'll be seeing the replacement until next week sometime.

- 5greyhoundsIn my attempt to solve my apparent transfer case problem, I switched over both my transmission and transfer case to Redline MT-90. Redline was the only company that offered the GL-4 in the weight recommended by Suzuki. If you find any other source, please post it for us. For what it's worth, I think that the transmission shifts as smoothly now that it's (much) colder, as it did when warmer (although, as you already painfully know, it didn't do much for the transfer case issue).

You know, it just occurred to me to point out again that I have the 5-speed manual tranny, not the automatic, as I recall you saying you have. I'd be willing to bet that there's more options out there for a synthetic for that automatic than for my manual.

I own a 2001 xl7. I have had a re-occurring steering problem that the dealership can't seem to fix . The steering wheel keeps "rolling" to the left. They keep re aligning the front end but that doesn't fix the problem. Is anyone else having this problem?

I am looking to buy an SUV for the first time. I am seriously considering the Standard XL-7 4x4. They have the exact model I want at the local dealership and have been using it as a demo. It has about 1150 miles on it. Their firm offer is they'll sell it to me at invoice and throw in the $1000 aluminum wheels already on it for free. I don't care about the wheels but they say they'll only take $150 off if they remove the wheels. Does anyone have a feeling for whether this is a fair offer or not? My inclination is that I'm being screwed since those miles come straight off my warranty and I should be able to get the truck for close to invoice brand new. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. I want to make a decision while the low financing is still available.

I recently purchased a 2002 at invoice (no freight charge) and 0% financing. The dealers in the Baltimore/Washington area seem to have a large number of XL-7's on the lot. I checked on the internet for dealers and found a few who were willing to sell at invoice. Armed with that info my local dealer immediately matched the price. A 2001 demo at invoice is not a good deal as you have a vehicle who's resale value is that of a year older vehicle. The 1000 miles is not too big of a deal in the big scheme of things, but if you're buying a last year demo model you should get more off then the invoice price. If the aluminum wheels don't matter to you then their inclusion in the deal shouldn't sway you.

Now that I have my XL-7, I find that I like it even more then I thought I would. It rides and handles great and I find it very comfortable. I like it better than my wifes Subaru Forester.

I am considering the purchase of an XL-7 (have been considering it since August when I first posted a message here:). Is it unreasonable for me to expect to pay invoice AND get the 0% financing deal? Or should I be willing to pay over invoice.

ottenstein (ref #399) I am in Northern Virginia. Any dealers you might recommend?

I forgot to mention the important detail that it is an '02 demo with 1100+ miles. I don't think they are going to budge any more. I'll call another dealer about 40 miles away (I'm in Iowa and there aren't that many Suzuki dealers here) and see what they can offer on a new '02. It's pretty likely I am going to be turning to my second choice, an '02 Altima instead. I love that car but it seems stupid to not take advantage of the great financing that is available now. One concern I have about the Suzuki is the low number of dealerships -- is it hard and/or expensive to repair these vehicles due to this?

I'm not sure about Northern Virginia, but check out www.fitzmall.com they have a dealership in Wheaton, Md. which is not too far from Northern, Va. I called them and they verified they would sell the vehicle at invoice (mine is a limited) with 0% financing and no transportation charge. They have a lower than invoice price listed, but that does not allow for the 0% financing. I then went to a closer dealer: Nationwide Suzuki in Ellicott City, Md. and they matched the invoice price with 0% financing and no transportation charge with no hassle. Nationwide was very good to deal with, no high pressure. My salesman was Eric and he was pleasant, informative and suprisingly honest.

Keep in mind 0% financing is scheduled to end 1/2/2002. The dealers seemed to have a large selection on their lots, so they should be willing to deal.

Just wanted to remind everyone to check your tire pressures if you already haven't. Since winter has finally arrived (took a while up here in WI -- bet you that folks in my home town near Buffalo aren't too happy right now), remember that tires loose about 1 psi for every 10 degrees.

Interesting observation wilsont79. I have also noticed a slight roll to the left when the vehicle is slow coasting or I ease my hand off the wheel. No noticeable pull while driving, so I have never mentioned it to the dealer or worried too much about it. Am now curious if others have noticed this?

PS: No...I am not recommending taking your hands off the wheel next time you are driving your XL-7. Be smart and safe out there. :-)

Well, we got our first big snow here in SE Virginia (sorry 5greyhounds, DC got nada). We got about 10", which for us is a major dump. We usually get a few snows of a couple inches each year, but not so much at one time.We took the XL-7 out for a test. At that time we had about 6" and it was somewhat wet and slushy. The 4wd worked great. The wife said it felt like a tank. She then had to go on into work and drove by herself to work and home. She said it did great the whole time, no sliding, no slipping. It stopped very well.We got about 4" more last night and this morning I had to go back to work. I'm glad my Tacoma is 4WD, still about 2-3 inches of packed snow/ice on the secondary roads, but the highways are clearing fast.Maybe DC will get something this weekend with another storm forecast.

Steve, happy to hear it did well. I know you know this but watch out for the idiots that think FWD is just as good and get into trouble. Then you are in trouble if they are around you. I had some idiot last year pass me on the shoulder once while it was snowing and I was moving with the rest of the traffic at about 20 MPH. About a mile later he was in a ditch. I guess we were lucky he did not take anyone with him.How were the original equipment tires? They do not look really aggressive to me but they must do the job.

The stock tires did OK for as whimpy as they look. My wife drives very slowly in the snow (as she should) so we didn't do any major tire tests. I think the relatively heavy weight of the XL-7 helps keep it on the road pretty good.

I find I stop a lot better in 4wd on slick surfaces by downshifting. In my Tacoma, I can almost come to a complete stop without touching the brakes by gradually downshifting (it's a manual). When I do this I usually lightly apply the brake so the brake lights come on so the folks behind me know I'm stopping.

In the XL-7 I had her turn off the overdrive so she could use the engine to slow down some before applying the brakes. You can even downshift an automatic if you're easy about it and don't shift down while going too fast.

Folks down here did real well with this storm. Usually there are so many accidents you can't get anywhere. But this snow came overnight at first and almost everything was closed Thursday, that kept a lot of people off the roads. Everyone was heeding the warnings and driving very slow and safely. Also the road crews were very prepared for this one and kept the salt and sand going down the whole time.Looks like we might see another one on Monday!

Spent a week in Edmonton, Alberta prior to Xmas, driving from Vancouver. Conditions across the mountain passes in some sections were unusually bad - heavy, heavy ice and combinations of freezing rain, black ice, heavy snow and blizzard conditions. Having lived on the Canadian prairies for several winters, I had a Subaru on-demand 4wd for years until getting the XL-7. The XL-7 handled the conditions extremely well and, when in 4X4 mode, really felt secure. Much more so than my old and commendable Subaru. On the other hand, the tires are awful - something confirmed by my dealer service manager who suggested it would be wise to replace them. While the 4wd mode offers confidence, the tires do not (in 2 or 4 wheel mode). Like you, I know that ice cares little about drive trains and we also witnessed numerous idiots in 2 & 4 wheel mode driving like they were immune...yet later waiting for tow trucks! Would thoroughly recommend it as a heavy winter vehicle. Heater was solid, ride was firm and the block heater worked well. If living in a true winter climate, would recommend going for the limited model with the heated mirrors. Scraping is a pain in the butt.

Just purchased a limited XL7.For the 2 days that I have been driving it, everything is great. Power could be a bit more, but its ok for me. One concern I have is when shifting from R to D. When I do this quickly without stopping for a slight second at N, the car kicks forward a bit. When I stop at N slightly and then go to D, there is hardly any feel to the shift. Is this normal or am I just paranoid? My other car has no feel when I shift. When idling, its pretty quiet. Handling is good. Breaking is not that great. Acceleration is not that great. Have not tried out the 4wd yet. Overall impression of this car is like most on this board. Its very good value for the money. They could have made it better, but then probably have to charge more for it. Cheap plastic on the doors. The fake wood looks kinda out of place, being that there is no other fake wood anywhere else. Also the 2nd and 3rd row seats are kinda hard to adjust. This is my first Suzuki and I hope that it will be reliable.

Congratulations on your new purchase. About the shifting, I've noticed the transmission doesn't like to be rushed from R to D. Usually when we do this it's as we are backing out of our driveway. Usually we've just started the truck and it hasn't warmed up yet. I think the idle being a bit high during warm up is causing the jump when you go from reverse to drive to quickly. I think you just have to give it a second to adjust before engaging drive. Also, if you're still rolling backward while you shift into drive, that will put a lot of stress on the transmission and cause a rough, jerky engagement.Good luck and enjoy your buggy!

Yes. I noticed that too. In the morning it will shift kinda hard. Later on in the day, when i shift slowly from R to N to D..it is barely noticeable. The manual said to wait about a minute or so untill the temp needle hit the C before driving. This morning i waited a minute and the needle barely moved towards the C. So i drove off. Overall so far I am very satisfied with the truck and would recommend it. Anyone know if there is a cargo cover available for the XL7?

One of the fastest ways to destroy your transmission is to rush the shift from one direction to the other (reverse to drive or the opposite). I have never had a problem with any automatic, even the notorious 95 Windstar--had 135k when it was totaled by a red light runner. The transmission is a machine that has to have time to change gears. If you are in reverse and drop it into drive while still going backwards it puts a great amount of stress on the gears. It is like any machine: treat it with some kindness and it will last a long, long time.

Maybe this is common knowledge and in the manual, but has anyone noticed that before you start driving, if you apply the handbrake the automatic headlights turn off? Then once you start moving the handbrake does not have this same effect.

I assume you release the hand break prior to moving. Yes, I have noticed it and it is a cut off switch to the lights. I have not driven with the hand break on so I can not answer that part of the question. When the truck is in my garage and I start it the hand break is on. I lower the break and they come on. I guess the company figured that with the hand break on you would not be driving the truck. Also, there are times when you are waiting for someone and have the engine on with the break up and this keeps the lights off.